Just like the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics, this year’s Australian Open was also marred with COVID-19 issues that initially put the year-opening Grand Slam in peril.

But with the tournament ending successfully and seeing Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic raise their trophies, it gave sports organizers, including the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Organizing Committee, a glimmer of hope that the biggest global sports showpiece can still go on.

“I think all eyes are on the Australian Open,” said former world No. 5 and Fox Sports guest presenter Daniela Hantuchova.

“All the organizers from other sports will be watching closely. You know, what kind of things have to be done in order to proceed.”

“So I think it’s important. The way it’s going to start and kind of set up the tone for for the rest of the sports events this year.”

The Australian Open initially went ahead welcoming 30,000 fans a day, but when State Premier Daniel Andrews announced the news that the highly transmissible strain of COVID-19 linked to Britain infected 13 people in Melbourne, the tournament had to be closed off for 5 days.

But after the brief suspension, fans were able to catch the major rounds until the finals.

“I think it’s a great move from Tennis Australia and the government of Victoria to achieve something like that. It will give some motivation or let’s say, inspire some other sports or other events to happen,” said former world No. 8 and Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis.

Compared to the 2020 French Open, this year-opening Grand Slam had negative reception, including the anxieties of Melbourne residents to the hotel staff testing positive for COVID-19, which led to testing of 600 players.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics is receiving a far greater opposition from the Japan public, and was further heightened by organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori’s sexist comments that led to his resignation.

With new chief Seiko Hashimoto – a woman who has competed in 7 Olympics – now at the helm, the organization and the Japanese government are determined to stage the pandemic-hit Games from July 23 to August 8.

And as the Australian Open had shown, the COVID-19 pandemic may have put the sports world at a standstill, but major tournaments across the globe – through bubble setups and event-wide testings – can slowly return and put life back to sports. – Rappler.com